Method and device for determining rating data for service usage in an electronic communication network

ABSTRACT

A charging device and method determines rating data for charging of services in an electronic communications network. A modifier operator ( 56, 76 ) of a node ( 46, 66 ) is accessed in a rating analysis in response to a charging request from a service element for a requested service in the electronic communications network. The modifier operator ( 56, 76 ) performs at least one operation involving a number of modifiers ( 46, 27, 48, 66, 67, 68 ), and returns a result from the at least one operation.

This application is a Divisional Application of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 11/887,272, filed Sep. 27, 2007, which is the U.S. nationalphase of International Application PCT/SE2005/000475, filed Mar. 31,2005 which designated the U.S., the entire contents of each of which ishereby incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The technology disclosed herein relates generally to charging in acommunications network and more particularly to a method and device fordetermining rating data for charging of services in a communicationsnetwork.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

Charging for usage of services in communications networks, for examplePLMNs (public land mobile network) such as GSM, CDMA, UMTS, publicswitched telecommunications networks (PSTN), ISDN, ATM, Internet etc.and their associated services is achieved by means of a paymentmechanism performing a charging process including a method ofdetermining rating data for charging requested and used services. Bothpost-paid and pre-paid systems are used.

Said mobile telephone communications networks provide different tele anddata communications services, for example regular phone calls, SMS, EMS,MMS, e-mail, WAP, GPRS, etc for users and providers, regional as well asworld-wide.

Up to the introduction of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) there hasbeen little need of combining several costs during the same interval,i.e. during an ongoing session, or to select costs out of a set of givencosts. With the introduction of GPRS several costs can apply to anaction, e.g. a bearer cost and a service cost. For MMS (multi mediamessage service) it could be a bearer, the number of recipients in thesource mobile network, the number of recipients in other mobilenetworks, recipients on the Internet and the size of the message. Priorart systems for rating analysis has a rating tree with branches endingup with one cost as shown in FIG. 3, e.g. a rate or fee that will makeup the cost together with the needed/used time.

A service element that can request services is for example an SSF viaCAP or INAP, HLR via MAP, HSS (Home Subscriber Subsystem) and webservers/application servers via Diameter, SIP, open API via IP, i.e.OSA/Parlay, XML web-services, via SOAP or any other server with anapplication requiring charging support, such as an e-commerce sitemovie/music server for streaming, a news site, WAP server or anSMSC/MMS-C. In those cases the charging input parameters can include forexample an article identifier, number of events, kind of event, service,local time, destination number, originating or terminating location,distance, QoS, number of time slots, or utilised capacity etc.

Determination of rating data in a prior art system involves a servicedata point (SDP) having a database containing service data needed forthe service, including for example tariff data, subscriber data, groupdata etc. The service data point handles the rating, wherein a chargingand rating function collects or accesses charging input parameters ordata such as: service data, subscriber related data, session data, calldata, system data etc, received from an external service element of aservice requested by a subscriber. One example of a requested service isto send an MMS of N kBytes to two internal HPLMN (Home PLMN) subscribersand one external HPLMN subscriber. The total cost for the three MMSswill be NkB*kBrate+2*Fee for HPLMN receivers+1*Fee for non-HPLMNreceivers. According to the prior art system described above a chargingand rating function performs rating of the requested service in responseto at least one rating request or system call to the rating tree of theCCRF for each MMS. A communication system involving a huge number ofsubscribers accessing a great number of similar and/or differentservices requiring a lot of system resources due to the rating treeaccesses. In a one-by-one invocation the first invocations could takeall resources leaving nothing left for the next invocation for the sameevent. This will effectively starve the execution of the complete event.

SUMMARY

Therefore, it is an object of the technology disclosed herein to providea method and rating device for determining rating data for service usagein an electronic communications system or network that overcomes theproblem and disadvantages set forth above in connection with the priorart.

This object is achieved by a method for determining rating data forcharging of services in an electronic communications network, includingthe steps of in response to a charging request from a service elementfor a requested service in the electronic communications network,accessing a modifier operator of a node in the rating tree, saidmodifier operator performing at least one operation involving a numberof modifiers, and returning a result from said at least one operation.

The object is further achieved by a rating device for determining ratingdata in the electronic communications network. The rating device hasmeans for accessing a modifier operator of a node leaf in a rating treein response to a charging request from a service element for a requestedservice in the electronic communications network, wherein said modifieroperator is configured to perform at least one operation involving anumber of modifiers, and return a result from said at least oneoperation. An advantage of the technology disclosed herein is to handlethe reservation for the complete cost at one time since optimizations ofdistribution of resources that are limited could be made. This isapplicable but not limited for reservations of funds where the accountis being emptied of funds or credits.

It should be emphasized that the term “comprises/comprising” when usedin this specification is taken to specify the presence of statedfeatures, integers, steps or components but does not preclude thepresence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps,components or groups thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order to explain the technology disclosed herein in more detail andthe advantages and features of the technology disclosed herein, apreferred embodiment will be described in detail below, reference beingmade to the accompanying drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a communications networkincluding a rating device and a charging device according to thetechnology disclosed herein,

FIG. 2 is a schematic view of a part of the communications network ofFIG. 1 in further detail,

FIG. 3 illustrates a part of a prior art rating tree,

FIG. 4 illustrates a first embodiment of a part of a rating tree of arating device according to the technology disclosed herein,

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of the method according tothe invention,

FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of a part of a rating tree of arating device according to the technology disclosed herein, and

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of the method according tothe technology disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an example of a communicationsnetwork including a rating device 1 according to the technologydisclosed herein for determining rating data involving combined costsfor service usage in an electronic communications system or network bymeans of reduced rating tree accesses. The rating device 1 forms part ofa charging device or system 1′ providing efficient charging analysisaccording to the technology disclosed herein. The communications systemor network is, but is not limited to PLMNs (public land mobile network),for example a cellular mobile telephone network, such as GSM, or CDMA,or UMTS, including a service providing network, such as an intelligentnetwork (IN) facilitating service delivery for subscribers connected tothe network. In this embodiment, the network also provides a pre-payoption and a method for determining rating data for pre-paid servicesfor subscribers in the communications network. The pre-pay option isonly one example of a method for charging for services in acommunications network, but this mechanism is not necessary for thetechnology disclosed herein. A post-pay option or other method ofcharging is likewise possible within the scope of the technologydisclosed herein.

A user may access the charging device 1′ providing a charging and ratingfunction CRF via a number of access methods which are further describedwith reference to FIG. 1. If the charging device 1′ is accessed via auser terminal such as a portable radio communication equipment 2 or afixed telephone 3, the invocation is performed by a service switchingpoint (SSP) 4 and its service switching function (SSF) 4′ via anintermediate MSC/GMSC 5/6 for the portable radio communication equipment2 and a local exchange (LE) 7 via a service control point SCP 8 for thefixed telephone 3.

The term portable radio communication equipment, which herein after isreferred to as a mobile phone, includes all equipment such as pagers,communicators, i.e. electronic organizers, smartphones or the like.

The GMSC 5, i.e. gateway mobile services switching centre, or only MSC6, i.e. mobile services switching centre, provides specific data aboutindividual mobile phones 2 in the network and operates as an interfacetowards other networks such as other PLMNs, ISDN or a public switchednetwork (PSTN) in the communications system.

If the charging device 1′ is invoked due to usage via a mobile phone 2′with GPRS capabilities, a GSN (GPRS support node) 10 will directlyinvoke the charging device 1′ by its co-located service switchingfunction (SSF) 11 via the SCP 8. If invoked due to usage of a service ata content server (CS) 12 connected to the Internet 13 accessed from adata terminal 14 through a network access server (NAS) 15, the contentserver (CS) 12 can directly access the charging device 1′ via a TCP/IPnetwork, such as the Internet 13. Access to an application server via amobile phone will operate in the same way as when accessing from thedata terminal 14, wherein the GSN 10 is operating as the NAS 15.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a communications system with a numberof providers within which the technology disclosed herein can beimplemented. The technology disclosed herein can however be implementedin communication systems with other configurations. According to thisexample embodiment, the SCP 8 is a real-time database and serviceprocessing system that, based on a query from the SSF 4′, performssubscriber- or application-specific service logic, controlling the callset-up and call flow. A home location register (HLR) 16 stores theidentity and user data of all the subscribers belonging to the PLMN.Further, the HLR 16 provides the GMSC/MSC 5/6 with the necessarysubscriber data when a call is coming from a public switched network(PSTN), an ISDN network, the Internet etc. A visitors location register(VLR) 17 contains relevant data of all mobile phones currently locatedor roaming within a serving GMSC/MSC 5/6. The VLR 17 has to support theGMSC/MSC 5/6 during call establishment when a call is initiated from amobile telephone.

The charging device 1′ of FIG. 1 contains a database with service dataneeded for the service, including for example tariff data, subscriberdata, group data etc. In this embodiment, rating and charging analysisis handled in the charging device 1′, its rating device 1, SCP 8 and/orone or several providers 18, or other external devices.

FIG. 4 illustrates a first embodiment of a part of a rating tree 40 of arating device 1 according to the technology disclosed herein. A branchof the rating tree comprises a “Type of Subscriber=X” node 41, followedby an “MMS” node 42, followed by a “Day in Week=workday” node 43,followed by a “Time of Day=peak” node 44. The last node 44 of the branchhas two or more modifiers or leafs. According to this particular examplethe rating tree 40 has—but the technology disclosed herein is notlimited thereto—a modifier operator and three different modifiers in thenode 44: A “GetSum” modifier operator 45, a “Fee for HPLMN receivers”modifier 46, a “Fee for non-HPLMN receivers” modifier 47, and a “Rateper original kB” modifier 48. Although, it is not explicitly expressedin the FIG. 4 the modifiers are implemented with real values. The feesare for example expressed in an amount of a currency.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a first embodiment of a method for ratingaccording to the technology disclosed herein. In this particular examplethe method operates on the rating tree of FIG. 4. The charging andrating function starts and is triggered by a request from a user via itsmobile phone 2,2′, fixed telephone 3, or data terminal 14 and proceedswith traversing the tariff structure in FIG. 4, while calculating thecost of a purchase or a chargeable event. One example of a requestedservice is to send an MMS of N kBytes from a subscriber typ X having amobile phone 2 as shown in FIG. 1 to two internal HPLMN subscribers andone external HPLMN subscriber. Thus, the service is requested by a userof the mobile phone 2 in step 50. A signal triggering the charging andrating function is transmitted to the charging device 1′ via the MSC 5to the SSP 4 to the SCP 8 and is received by the rating device 1 of thecharging device 1′. According to this embodiment of the method therating device 1 receives the signal and necessary parameters for arequested charging in step 51. The rating device configured to accessits tariff or rating tree, accesses its tariff tree including the branch40 of FIG. 4 in response to the requested service, i.e., the MMS, instep 52. The rating is performed by entering the branch 41 in step 52followed by testing of the conditions 42-44 one after the other in steps53-55. If the last condition is fulfilled the rating proceeds byaccessing the GetSum modifier operator 45 in step 56. Relevantparameters including data indicating the number of kBs and the number ofMMSs to be sent to different receivers are also provided when accessingthe GetSum modifier operator 45. Depending on the parameters provided tothe GetSum modifier operator, the operator returns the sum of themodifiers in the set of modifiers in step 57, i.e., one or more of themodifiers 46-48 are added to form a result returned by the rating device1 to the charging request. Operations performing the followingexpression is performed in step 56 in this embodiment for calculatingthe total cost for the three MMSs: NkB*kBrate+2*Fee for HPLMNreceivers+1*Fee for non-HPLMN receivers. The Fee for HPLMN receivers andFee for non-HPLMN receivers is usually of different values but can bethe same.

The steps 50-57 can include one or more additional sub-steps, all ofwhich are not described herein in detail. Although steps 53-56 aredisclosed as one sequence these steps can be repeated more than once inalternative embodiments of the technology disclosed herein. Otherexamples of requested services combine time and volume, i.e., gettingthe price for a data connection, combining the time the user is active(attached or has activated his PDP context) and the data volume that hasbeen used. Additionally this could be separated also into time, uplinkdata volume and downlink data volume. Further the following parameterscould be combined for the same situation: relative time (time insession), absolute time (time of day) and used volume.

Another service gives the user his local weather forecast. Charging datato be combined could be: volume used, cost for the positioning of theuser, cost for the data fetched from the weather database, orchestratingapplication cost. All this cost could be requested from differentparties.

The charging and rating function CRF of the charging device or system 1′collects or accesses charging input parameters or data such as: servicedata, subscriber related data, session data, call data, system data etc,received from the external service element of a service requested by asubscriber.

The subscriber has an account registered for one or more services at aservice provider. A service element that can request services is forexample an SSF (service switching function) via CAP (Camel applicationpart) or INAP (Intelligent network application part), SCF (servicecontrol function) via CAP or INAP, HLR (Home location register) via MAP(mobile application part), HSS (Home Subscriber Subsystem) webservers/application servers via Diameter, SIP (session initiationprotocol), open API via IP, i.e., OSA/Parlay, XML web-services via SOAPor any other server with an application requiring charging support, suchas an e-commerce site movie/music server for streaming, a news site, WAPserver or an SMSC/MMS-C. The charging input parameters are an article,number of events, kind of event, service, local time, destinationnumber, originating or terminating location, distance, QoS, number oftime slots, or utilised capacity etc.

FIG. 6 illustrates a second embodiment of a part of a rating tree 60 ofa rating device 1 according to the technology disclosed herein. A branchof the rating tree comprises a “Type of Subscriber=X” node 61, followedby a “PLMN to PSTN calls” node 62, followed by a “Day in Week=workday”node 63, followed by a “Time of Day=peak” nod 64. The last node 64 ofthe branch has two or more modifiers or “leaves”. This particularexample has but the technology disclosed herein is not limited to amodifier operator and three different modifiers in the node 64: A“GetSum” modifier operator 65, a “Fee for call set-up” modifier 66, a“Rate for air connection” modifier 67, and a “Rate for land connection”modifier 68.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a second embodiment of a method for ratingaccording to the technology disclosed herein. The charging and ratingfunction starts and is triggered by a request from a user via its mobilephone 2,2′ and proceeds with traversing the tariff structure in FIG. 4,while calculating the cost of a purchase or a chargeable event.According to this example of a requested service is to make a call froma subscriber typ X having a mobile phone 2 as shown in FIG. 1 to a PSTNsubscriber. Thus, the service is requested by a user of the mobile phone2 in step 70. A signal triggering the charging and rating function istransmitted to the charging device 1 via the MSC 5 to the SSP 4 to theSCP 8 and is received by the charging device 1. According to thisembodiment of the method the rating device 1 of the charging device 1′receives the signal and necessary parameters for a requested charging instep 71. The rating device accesses the tariff or rating tree includingthe branch 60 of FIG. 6 in response to the requested service, i.e thecall from a PLMN subscriber to a PSTN subscriber, in step 72. The ratingis performed by entering the branch 61 in step 72 followed by testing ofthe conditions 62-64 one after the other in steps 73-75. If the lastcondition is fulfilled the rating proceeds with accessing the GetSummodifier 65 in step 76. Relevant parameters including are also providedwhen accessing the GetSum modifier 65. The parameters can be used time(when known after it has been used) or estimated time (when areservation is to be done before something has been used) from thereservation process, state of call (start, within call, end of call).For this entry the fee will most probably only be used at start of callas a “connection fee” or call “attempt fee”. These parameters arehowever specific for the shown example. Depending on the parametersprovided to the GetSum modifier operator the operator returns the sum ofthe modifier result in the set of modifiers, i.e one or more of themodifiers 66-68 are added to form a result returned by the rating device1 of the charging device 1′ to the charging request in step 77. Thesteps 70-77 can include one or more additional sub-steps, all of whichare not described herein in detail. The charging and rating function CRFof the charging device 1 collects or accesses charging input parametersor data such as: service data, subscriber related data, session data,call data, system data etc, received from the external service elementof a service requested by a subscriber.

Although only one modifier operator has been disclosed in each of theembodiments described herein, it should be understood by the skilledperson that the technology disclosed herein is not limited thereto.Additional modifier operators that are provided within the scope of thetechnology disclosed herein are GetMin that returns the individual costfrom the modifier result that has the smallest cost in the modifier set,e.g. bearer, service cost and a fee to limit the maximum cost; GetMaxthat returns the individual cost from the modifier result that has thelargest cost in the modifier set, e.g. bearer and service; GetMinRatethat selects and returns the individual minimum rate from the set ofmodifiers in the node; GetMaxRate that selects and returns theindividual maximum rate form a set of modifiers; GetSumOfFee thatreturns the sum of all individual fees; and GetSumOfRates that returnsthe sum of all individual rate, e.g. air and land rates. The name of thedifferent modifier operators and the different modifiers are onlyexamples and thus other names can be used for operators and modifierswith the same meaning as those described herein.

A rating tree can also have choice/if statements as macros. E.g IFaccount>amount then GetSum ELSE GetMin.

Moreover, the modifier operator can be defined to operate on allfollowing given modifiers, all modifiers in a set of modifiers, aspecified number of following given modifiers, fees only, rates onlyetc. In addition, the modifier operations can also state booleanexpressions, giving at least the same possibilities as the treestructure itself, i.e “AND” and “OR” operators etc. The operations canbe on true/false basis or on strings etc.

The method of the technology disclosed herein is preferably implementedin computer software executable preferably by a data processingapparatus or system forming part of the overall communication system. Inthis embodiment of the technology disclosed herein, the computerprocessor of the operator in the network is configured to work the stepsof the method.

Hence, it should be apparent that the technology disclosed hereinprovides an improved method and device for use in an electroniccommunication network, comprising a rating and charging mechanism thatprovides for determining rating data for services in a communicationsnetwork to a user in a communications system that fully satisfies theaims and advantages set forth above. Among other advantages, thetechnology disclosed herein makes it possible for a rating service tooperate efficiently on several modifiers affected by the same event andtheir result, i.e for example their total cost such as reservationinterval or event cost and could be the rate/units or fixed fee, andadditionally optimizing on a specific result such as a reservation.

Although the technology disclosed herein has been described inconjunction with specific embodiments thereof this technology disclosedherein is susceptible of embodiments in different forms, with theunderstanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as anexemplification of the principles of the technology disclosed herein andis not intended to limit the technology disclosed herein to the specificembodiments illustrated. Particularly rating trees or part of ratingtrees of FIG. 4 and FIG. 6 are only examples and are not intended tolimit the scope of the technology disclosed herein. The method anddevice according to the technology disclosed herein are configurable tooperate on a variation of rating trees or part of rating trees.

The method of the technology disclosed herein can also be implemented incomputer software executable preferably by a distributed data processingsystem forming part of the overall communication system.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for determining rating data for chargingof services in an electronic communications network, comprising: inresponse to a charging request from a service element for a requestedservice in the electronic communications network, accessing a modifieroperator of a node of a branch of a tariff structure for determining aresult to be returned in response to the charging request, said modifieroperator performing at least one operation involving a number ofmodifiers each representing real cost or rate values, and returning aresult from said at least one operation.
 2. A method according to claim1, wherein said modifier operator returns the individual cost from themodifier result that has the smallest cost in the modifier set; orreturns the individual cost from the modifier result that has thelargest cost in the modifier set; or selects and returns the individualminimum rate from the modifiers; or selects and returns the individualmaximum rate form a set of modifiers; or returns the sum of allindividual fees; or returns the sum of all individual rates.
 3. A methodaccording to claim 1, wherein said requested service is to send an MMSof N kBytes from a subscriber having a mobile phone to one or moreinternal HPLMN subscribers and one or more external HPLMN subscribersand that said operator performs a sum operation of the modifiers forminga fee for HPLMN receivers and a fee for non-HPLMN receivers and the rateper original unit of information to be sent.
 4. A method according toclaim 1, wherein said requested service is to make a call from asubscriber having a mobile phone to a PSTN subscriber and that saidoperator performs a sum operation of the modifiers forming a fee forcall set-up, a rate for air connection, and a rate for land connection.5. A charging device for determining rating data for charging ofservices in an electronic communications network, comprising: a modifieroperator of a node; and a computer processing apparatus adapted toaccess the modifier operator of a node of a branch of a tariff structurefor determining a result to be returned in response to a chargingrequest from a service element for a requested service in the electroniccommunications network, wherein said modifier operator is configured toperform at least one operation involving a number of modifiers eachrepresenting real cost or rate values, and return a result from said atleast one operation.
 6. A charging device according to claim 5, whereinsaid modifiers are a fee for HPLMN receivers and a fee for non-HPLMNreceivers and the rate for the amount of information to be sent, andthat said operator is configured to perform and return a sum of the saidmodifiers.
 7. A charging device according to claim 5, wherein saidmodifiers are a fee for call set-up, a rate for air connection, and arate for land connection and that said operator is configured to performand return a sum of the said modifiers.
 8. A charging device accordingto claim 5, wherein said modifier operator is configured to return theindividual cost from the modifier result that has the smallest cost inthe modifier set; or return the individual cost from the modifier resultthat has the largest cost in the modifier set; or select and return theindividual minimum rate from the modifiers; or select and return theindividual maximum rate form a set of modifiers; or return the sum ofall individual fees; or return the sum of all individual rates.
 9. Acomputer program comprising program instructions stored on anon-transitory computer readable carrier which, when executed, cause acomputer to perform the method of claim
 1. 10. A computer programaccording to claim 9, wherein said carrier is a record medium, acomputer memory, or a read-only memory.
 11. A charging device fordetermining rating data for charging services in an electroniccommunications network, the charging device comprising: a rating deviceincluding a computer apparatus; and a database with service data neededfor the service, including tariff data and subscriber data, adapted toperform the method of claim
 1. 12. A method for determining rating datafor charging of services in an electronic communications network,comprising: maintaining a tariff structure at a charging system, thetariff structure being configured as a rating tree having plural ratingtree nodes including a modifier operator node and modifier leafs, themodifier operator node being associated with a modifier operator andeach modifier leaf being associated with a respective modifier, eachmodifier representing a real cost or rate value; in response to acharging request from a service element for a requested service in theelectronic communications network, using the processor in one traversalof the rating tree to access the modifier operator and to use themodifier operator to perform at least one operation involving a numberof the modifiers for determining a result to be returned in response tothe charging request; and the processor returning a result from said atleast one operation.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the pluralmodifier leafs are leafs of a same rating tree node.
 14. The method ofclaim 12, wherein the modifier operator is a summation operationperformed with respect to plural modifiers.
 15. A charging device fordetermining rating data for charging of services in an electroniccommunications network, comprising: a computer-implement tariffstructure configured as a rating tree having plural rating tree nodesincluding a modifier operator node and modifier leafs, the modifieroperator node being associated with a modifier operator and eachmodifier leaf being associated with a respective modifier, each modifierrepresenting a real cost or rate value; a processing configured in onesingle traversal of the rating tree to: access the modifier operator ina rating analysis in response to a charging request from a serviceelement for a requested service in the electronic communicationsnetwork; use the modifier operator to perform at least one operationinvolving a number of modifiers; and return a result from the at leastone operation.
 16. The charging device of claim 15, wherein the pluralmodifier leafs are leafs of a same rating tree node.
 17. The chargingdevice of claim 15, wherein the modifier operator is a summationoperation performed with respect to plural modifiers.